School avoidance and social phobia triggered by haloperidol in patients with Tourette's disorder

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Abstract
Fifteen patients with Tourette''s disorder developed school and work avoidance syndromes when treated with low doses (mean, 2.5 mg/day) of haloperidol for short periods of time (mean, 8 wk). The phobic syndromes disappeared completely with discontinuation or reduction of the haloperidol dose. Haloperidol''s effects on dopaminergic functioning support a role for catecholamines in the pathogenesis of phobic syndromes. It is unknown whether phobias are precipitated by haloperidol only in patients with Tourette''s disorder as a consequence of the specific metabolic alterations in this disorder or are a medication side effect in other psychiatric disorders as well.

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